Getting Out of the Inbox Weeds // Training Your Virtual Assistant to Manage Your Email

As a business owner, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as delegating—especially regarding your email inbox.

Every day, emails pile up, and without careful management, they become a time-sucking black hole! Training a virtual assistant (VA) to handle your inbox and respond on your behalf is one of the smartest moves you can make to get out of the weeds and back into high-value work.

But giving up control and letting someone else speak for you can feel hard. Here’s how to make the process seamless and set up your VA to manage your inbox like a pro.

Define your inbox goals and guidelines.

Before your VA starts managing emails, you must define why you’re handing off this task. Are you looking to save time? Streamline communication with clients? Reduce your daily distractions. Knowing your primary goal helps you determine what emails you want to focus on, which can be handled by your VA, and where responses can be templated for efficiency.

Key TiP

Create an inbox playbook that details your preferred response times, tone, and specific phrases you commonly use. For example, do you prefer a warm greeting or a direct start to responses? Document and communicate these preferences to your VA.

Segment and label emails for clarity.

Make it easy for your VA to understand which emails require a response, which ones are just informational, and which ones you prefer to handle personally. Set stars, folders, or labels in your inbox so they can quickly identify email categories and prioritize accordingly. A few useful labels might include:

• Urgent: These require immediate attention or a quick reply.

• FYI: No action is needed, but you might want to read them later.

• Follow-up: Responses are needed, but they’re not urgent.

• Owner Only: Emails that you’ll handle personally, like sensitive client messages.

Key Tip

Implement a color-coded label system or automated filters to route emails to the correct folder as they arrive. This helps your VA quickly assess what’s in their realm and what they should escalate to you.

If you don't want to auto-file emails, using stars is another great tip. You can turn on multiple star option if you use Gmail, which makes email sorting super slick!

Develop templates and canned responses.

If you regularly answer the same questions, save yourself (and your VA) time by creating templates or canned responses. Some examples might include:

• Inquiry Follow-Ups: Common responses for prospective clients or customer questions.

• Scheduling Requests: Templates to propose or confirm meeting times.

• Order or Service Confirmation: Quick responses for service confirmations or updates.

Key Tip

Templates are only effective if they’re updated regularly. Each quarter, review the templates to see if they’re still in line with your brand voice and services.

Establish response times and priority levels.

Let your VA know your desired response time for each type of email. For example, you might want sales inquiries replied to within a few hours, while other communications can wait until the next day. Create a priority system (e.g., urgent, normal, low priority) and specify how quickly you’d like each level handled.

Key Tip

Avoid overloading your VA with “urgent” tasks. Be realistic about response times so that they can focus on quality over speed, especially if they are a part-time team member.

Encourage decision-making and empowerment.

Empower your VA by giving them decision-making guidelines so they don’t need to consult you for every email. Encourage them to take action within certain boundaries, like responding to common questions, scheduling appointments, or forwarding emails to the right team member. Make sure they understand when it’s appropriate to loop you in. With that, make sure they know your schedule and schedule preferences so they don't need to ask your permission for every appointment request.

Key Tip

Schedule weekly check-ins to discuss any tricky emails, address questions, and provide feedback. This keeps them aligned with your expectations and reduces the need for constant back-and-forth.

Teach them to mirror your tone and style.

Your VA’s responses should sound like you, which means they need to know your tone and voice. Are you more formal or casual? Do you use humor or stick to a straightforward tone? Record yourself responding to emails or provide examples to help them capture your style.

Key Tip

Start with small, low-stakes emails to practice. Have them respond to customer inquiries or internal communications and give feedback on their tone and wording. If you aren't ready for them to fully respond AS you yet, they can respond as themselves in your inbox. Just be aware then others know it's not just you in your inbox. We've had this level of access with many of our Fierce Decorum clients and have not had any issues, but something to keep in mind.

Set up a drafting and approval process.

Initially, you may want your VA to draft responses for your review before sending them. This helps you see how well they understand your voice, tone, and preferred wording. Over time, as you trust their judgment, you can give them more autonomy.

Key TiP

Use a shared folder for drafts or designate certain email categories for drafting only. Over time, you’ll notice which types of emails you no longer need to review.

Invest in tools for easy management.

If you’re managing a high volume of emails, consider tools to streamline your process, like:

• Shared Inbox Tools: Apps like Front or Hiver make it easier for you and your VA to see messages and notes without forwarding emails back and forth.

• Email Templates: Tools like TextExpander or even built-in Gmail templates can save time by making responses accessible in a few clicks.

• Automations: Set up automations for incoming emails so your VA is notified when an email meets specific criteria (like from a VIP client).

Key Tip

Monitor metrics (like response times) to ensure that tools are improving efficiency rather than adding extra steps.

Create a training manual and check-in system.

Training your VA on your inbox processes doesn’t stop after the first few weeks. Create a simple training manual that outlines key policies, FAQs, and example responses so they have a go-to guide when questions arise. Schedule regular check-ins, especially at first, to talk through any challenges and provide ongoing feedback.

Key Tip

Update your training manual regularly as your business or email processes evolve. This keeps your VA equipped with the latest information and policies.

Celebrate the small wins.

Email management may not sound glamorous, but every time your VA effectively handles an email on your behalf, it’s one less task on your plate. Recognize your VA for smooth communication, fast responses, and efficient problem-solving.

Training your VA to manage your inbox is a powerful way to step out of the day-to-day details and focus on big-picture growth. Why not strive for an inbox that practically runs itself—and reclaim your time and energy for what matters most!